Thomas Baumgardner, Nov. 15, 1938 — May 31, 2012, of Columbia

Thomas E. Baumgardner, 73, a leader in the Columbia business community and a longtime financial adviser for Edward Jones, passed away on Thursday, May 31, 2012.

A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Monday, June 4, at First Presbyterian Church of Columbia. The family will receive friends at a reception after the service at the church.

Tom was born on Nov. 15, 1938, to Joseph Earl Baumgardner and Xetah May Finch Baumgardner in Doniphan.

He attended school in Poplar Bluff, graduating from Poplar Bluff High School in 1956. He attended Westminster College in Fulton, where he was student body president and a member of the Skulls of Seven honor society and Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. He graduated in 1960 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and remained a dedicated and involved alumnus.

Tom served in the U.S. Army in Germany from 1962 to 1964 and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. He remained in the U.S. Army Reserves until 1971. He earned an MBA in banking and finance from the University of Missouri and attended the Investment Banking School at the Wharton School University of Pennsylvania.

Tom spent 45 years with Edward Jones in Columbia, working as a financial adviser, regional leader and general partner for the firm. An elder and active member of First Presbyterian Church, he also donated many hours to civic causes, from city committees to statewide boards. Tom served on the Missouri MOST board, the Missouri Securities Advisory Committee, the Columbia Water and Light Advisory Board, the Columbia Planning and Zoning Commission, and the Columbia Public Schools Long Range Planning Finance Committee and was a Partner in Education with West Junior High School. He served as president of the Columbia Downtown Rotary and was a Paul Harris Fellow. Tom served as president of the Columbia Jaycees and was on the board of directors for the Columbia Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Baumgardner is survived by his wife of 49 years, Lynnanne Welch Baumgardner; daughters Elizabeth Baumgardner Tidmarsh and husband Lachlan of Chicago, and Katherine Baumgardner Marzo and husband Joseph of Chicago; grandchildren Alice and Sam Tidmarsh, and Georgia, June and Waylon Marzo; sister Margaret Baumgardner Kovac and husband Fred of Dallas; niece Sara Kovac Brown of Atlanta; nephew Thomas Kovac of Long Island, N.Y.; and uncle Bryce Finch of Louisville, Ky. He was preceded in death by his parents.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Westminster College in Fulton and First Presbyterian Church of Columbia.